Lawyer of the week: Karyl Nairn

Share via

The litigation partner led Roman Abramovich’s defence in a claim against him by former Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky

Karyl Nairn, a litigation and arbitration partner in the London office of
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, led the defence team for Chelsea
Football Club owner Roman Abramovich in the largest private litigation case
in British legal history. The $6 (£3.6) billion claim made against him by
former Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky was dismissed, and he is liable to
pay £35 million legal costs to Abramovich.

What were the main challenges in this case? The case involved uniquely
Russian factual and legal issues, with many key witnesses giving evidence in
Russian. Although the legal issues were complex, the case